Trust fund kid Nathan learned years ago that he’s patently unlovable. He dulls his loneliness with casual sex, acid wit, and lots of booze. That way, no one else can abandon him like his mother, or ignore him like his father. Fresh out of yet another stint at rehab, Nathan stumbles onto a clue that leads him to his late mother’s whereabouts. His search takes him halfway around the world to New Zealand to solve the mystery of why she left--and connect him to the family he never knew existed.
Liam would rather deal with sheep than people. After catching his girlfriend and BFF cheating, he moves back to his family’s farm to connect with his roots and help his widower brother raise his kids. His other brothers want him to sell the farm so they can all make a big profit, but Liam needs one more year to prove he can succeed. When a handsome Brit wanders onto his field in the middle of the night claiming to be the farmhand he advertised for, Liam is suspicious, but he can’t make it through lambing season by himself.
As Liam helps Nathan transform from Posh Spice to Old Macdonald, they realize they’re the perfect salve for each other’s tattered souls. But the longer Nathan holds off on telling the truth of what brought him to New Zealand, the harder it becomes for him to come clean. Because if he admits who he really is, it could shatter not only Liam’s family--but Nathan’s one true shot at love.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN is a slow burn, opposites attract M/M romance about lonely hearts finding redemption--and sheep. Lots of sheep. It follows Nathan from OUT OF THIS WORLD, but can be read as a standalone.
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.
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Ah, New Zealand, the land where half-naked farmers followed you through dark fields at night.
This was a really fun story about how your parents (and their parents, even) can fuck you up, and how other family can go a long way toward helping to repair that damage.
After being abandoned at birth by his mother, then being ignored by an angry father his entire life, 22 y.o. Nathan found himself in a continual downward spiral, using casual sex and alcohol to dampen the pain.
But after a stint in rehab, he finally caught a break and got a lead as to the identity of his long-lost mother, so he hopped on a plane to New Zealand to, hopefully, find the family, love, and sense of belonging for which he'd always yearned.
There Nathan met his half-siblings, his mother's husband, and the initially-cantankerous love of his life, and after a few missteps, it was exactly what he'd needed for so long.
The one thing that I found frustrating about Nathan was his Donald Trump-level of lying. It approached habitual, folks, and nearly drove me 'round the bend, seeing him make his life so much more complicated, when there was no real reason or benefit to that level of casual deceit.
I did really enjoy seeing the relationship between Nathan and Liam play out, though. I also understood Liam's aversion to people being untruthful with him. Once bitten, twice shy and all that.
The pair had a fun level of snark and banter going on, which I always enjoy, but seeing how deeply they came to rely on and care for one another was my favorite aspect of their connection.
Yes, the sexy bits were steamy and satisfying, too, but the feels and Liam's easy acceptance of his bisexuality, those were the real money shots for me.
A lot of the drama, other than Nathan stressing out about coming clean, was derived from the Pastor grandfather, who wasn't about to make anyone's lives any easier. Religion and giving a shit about what other people might say, just... UGH.
One of my favorite characters was Liam's brother, Mark, who was a great dad and, in the end, a voice of sobriety in the whole fucked up situation brought about by a Jesus freak father unwilling to support his daughter after she'd made a youthful mistake.
Once all of the cards had been laid out on the table and the time came to "go get your man", that scene was a teeny bit over-the-top for my tastes, but it was sweet, nonetheless, so I can't really complain.
The story ended with a joyful HEA and the bad guy(s) having been told what for, so I was satisfied and convinced that Nathan and Liam were in it for the long haul.
I'd rate the story at around 4.25 stars, with this story being one of my very favorites in the series, although I never did figure out how in the world the book actually *intersected* with Browerton U.
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What if your birthdate is not really your birthdate.
Nathan is certain he is unlovable. Abandoned by his mother, a father always traveling, he feels neglected and unloved. Drinking way too much and one night stands, dulls his mind.
He travels to the other side of the world to find out why his mother left him at the doorstep with his father. He wants to find her and her family. He ends up working at a family sheep farm with the handsome owner Liam.
Nathan is a liar. The lies are rolling out of his mouth just like that. His attitude is one of a kind. Why bother when you are unlovable and never accepted. When he and Liam are getting hot for each other Nathan can’t rewind his lies.
Great read, clear and steady written. Convincing and balanced. Nathan was so lovable!! Even though Nathan lies like no other I found him prodigious, all what came out of his mouth in high speed. Soooo much fun. The feelings were all over, woww, my heart did some overtime. At times it was so emotional, the hurt and grief was devastating and made my eyes blurred. Solid Liam was a great counterbalance for Nathan. The plot here was so well thought out. The sexy time they had was hot and fiery. Their story was captivating and engaging. They were meant for each other. All the secondary characters and their related stories are of great importance. My vision on sheep, lambing and manure will never be the same. A more than wonderful story, it was fun, emotional, charming and entertaining.
An utter piss of a story which relies too much on formula and doesn’t deliver a penny on relatability. There’s addiction, sexual awakening, transatlantic love affair, emotional trauma of a loss and all it was boiled down to was sentences! All of it was just formulaic sentences delivering a story thinking that the reader will Ooo and Ahhh over it but nah! How the fuck is a laptop open from the night before on a table? How the fuck do you boil down addiction to a ploy to use for your convenience? How the fuck do you write a plotline where a rich son goes to a rich rehab and is used by the people and addicts there ‘as a piece of ass to help them forget about drugs’? I understand scenarios happen, but the way they’ve been devised in this book do disservice to issues that are serious. So, thank u, next!
Outside Looking In is part of the Browerton University series, but I’d say this was a tangential connection at best. I’ve never read the other books in the series and I had no problem following the story here. The writing is decent and the book has a fairly strong pace that gave it a natural flow, which I appreciated. There’s also a fairly strong secondary cast. Mark, Liam’s elder brother, feels fully formed and I enjoyed the interplay between him, Liam, and Nate. In a lot of books it feels as though the “B” cast ends up flat and lifeless when in comparison to the main characters, but that doesn’t happen here and it was a nice surprise. There are a couple stock characters and they read as rather melodramatic, but they aren’t given a ton a page time either.
The plot to Outside Looking In is rather bonkers. I mean, it’s not completely implausible, but it’s not exactly believable. I can’t talk much about the specifics because doing so will give away some of the details, but I felt on the whole the story depends too much on coincidence. Too many of Nate’s actions feel forced or wedged into place to make the plot work and, as a result, it ends up as overwrought and, at times, absurd.
I gobbled up all the Browerton U books over the holidays and snapped this one up as soon as I got the message that it was released! I was HOPING for a redemption for book for delightfully horrible Nathan, and I was not disappointed.
Of course Nathan had reasons for his behavior and I was heard over heels for him before I finished the second chapter. Once he got on the plane to New Zealand, I was prepared for whatever adventure he took me on. Even if it was full of sheep poo and the world's worst hangover. I giggled throughout--the dialogue is witty and delicious and Liam and Nathan SPARK all over the place. The ending is perfect and I, honestly, would shovel out the damned barn if I could have stayed and hung out with them for another 60K words.
Precious and delightful. You won't go wrong with this one!
Un Kindle Unlimited muy entretenido con sus dosis de momentos sexys y angst. Quizás no muy creíble, pero... está bien para pasar el rato. Sin embargo, para mí de esta serie el primero sigue siendo el mejor. Oye, al menos la historia tiene sus puntos originales con la granja de ovejas...
Absolutely wonderful book! This was such a pleasant and unexpected surprise. When I read that blurb, I thought I might like it, but I had no idea how much I would end loving those guys and their story. Nathan is a brat. He`s an alcoholic, a cheater a lier and he is completely unlovable (not only to himself and everyone around but he really was that way to me as well way into the story). When he finds out, who his mother was (he was dumped at his fathers' doorsteps days after his birth), he travels to New Zealand to meet his "other" family. His mother died, but she left a husband and two kids. In order to get to know those guys, he works as a farmhand with Liam, who is the brother of his mothers' husband (yeah it`s sort of complicated). In order to find out more about his family, he starts telling lies and when he gets close to them this gets more and more difficult, he can`t get out of the hole he dug himself. I admit it was not an easy read at the beginning, Nathan is just such an asshole, it was difficult not to hate him in the beginning and way into the book. Only when more and more of his story is revealed I started to like him a little bit and by the end, I was completely in love. Liam, on the other hand, is easy to like. He is a sheep farmer, sweet, fun, dedicated and absolutely adorable. Then there is Mark, father of Nathan`s stebbrother and -sister, if you want to call them that. Together they are an incredible family, and yes, I would also get up daily at 4 am to be part of this clan! Once I got over the shitty behaviour of Nathan, this was an absolutely terrific read. I enjoyed it a lot, it had everything you want in a m/m romance, including a wonderful and weet HEA! Easily 4 stars and recommended.
Well, I was a bit scared going into this one. Mostly because Nathan was such a dick in the previous book. Really such a dick. Poor Rafe. Anyway, this book was a splendid redemption story for him. I can now proudly say that I'm on team Nathan. However. The religion packed into this story. I was not expecting that. And as some of you know, religion is kind of a sore subject for me. I finished it though. And I didn't dislike it. So that's that.
Author A.J. Truman relives his university days – enhanced - in his series Browerton University of which OUTSIDE LOOKING IN is Book 6. AJ writes with a lilting humor and sensitivity and yet is able to create very fine erotica in this book about coming out gay.
For those who have followed this series from the successful initial volume OUT IN THE OPEN, this extension of Truman’s ideas will definitely satisfy. Nathan is typical of the characters in this series, and we meet him as the book opens: ‘Nathan liked celebrating his birthday – not for the presents, but because it was one of the few days of the year when he knew he’d see his did. They didn’t see each other that often, what with Nathan off at boarding school most of the year. And when Nathan was home on breaks, his father was usually away on business, with his current wife, stepmum number three, tagging along to hit up the local boutiques. “Where you going, Ginj?” Nathan rolled his eyes. Two of his classmates walked up to him in the lobby of their barding school, snickering to each other. There always had to be at least two. It was like that light bulb joke: one person to make the stupid comment, and the other to laugh at it. “Don’t call me Ginj,” Nathan said. This was England. Had they never seen a redhead beg=fore? Apparently, Nathan must’ve been the first ginger student accepted to this school...’
That flavor of writing spills across every page, and the plot is well summarized: ‘When it came to family, Nathan Hargrove has always been on the outside looking in. Abandoned by his mother as a baby, ignored by his father, and bullied by his cousins, Nathan learned years ago that he’s the blackest of black sheep. He dulls his loneliness with casual sex, acid wit, and lots of booze. Fresh out of yet another stint at rehab, Nathan stumbles onto a clue that leads him to his late mother’s whereabouts. His search takes him halfway around the world to New Zealand to solve the mystery of why she left. Liam Foster would rather deal with sheep than people. After catching his girlfriend and BFF cheating, he moves back to his family’s farm to connect with his roots and help his widower brother raise his kids. His other brothers want him to sell the farm so they can all make a big profit, but Liam needs one more year to prove he can succeed. When a handsome Brit wheeling designer luggage wanders onto his field, claiming to be the farmhand he advertised for, Liam is suspicious, but he can’t make it through lambing season by himself. As Liam helps Nathan transform from Posh Spice to Old Macdonald, they realize they’re the perfect salve for each other’s tattered souls. But the longer Nathan holds off on telling the truth of what brought him to New Zealand, the harder it becomes for him to come clean. Because if he admits who he really is, it could shatter not only Liam’s family--but also Nathan’s one true shot at love.’
One fine exploration of family and relationships – all the way form England to New Zealand. This is a very fine novel on every level. Recommended
I read this a fortnight ago and much of it has already fled my memory. I can not forget how much I hate that cover. And after reading the book I still hated it. in now way did it make me think of Liam. Still I had read some of the other Browerton books so decided to ignore the ugliness and forge ahead. In the end I could not see how this connected to the other books. I am guessing Nathan was a side character that I have forgotten. But the upside of this is that the book is entirely stand alone.
Nathan has been raised by his wealthy father with what appears to be a lot of emotional distance. He never knew his mother and for most of his life thought she was dead, only to find out that she actually abandoned him as an infant. These circumstance have left him emotionally damaged, alcoholic, and using falsehoods as a method of getting what he wants in life. Having extricated himself from rehab once again he decides to go to New Zealand to track down his now deceased mother's family. That family ends up being her husband Mark, their two children, her parents, and Mark's brother Liam.
Liam is farming on property he shares with his 3 brothers, although only Mark and him live on the land. He is still reeling from finding his best friend and girlfriend have been sleeping together behind his back. He is exhausted both physically and emotionally. He is in particular need of a farm hand. Of course at exactly the right moment Nathan shows up and gets the job. Mark, having no idea who Nathan is, facilitates this arrangement by offering Nathan a room and his trust.
The only concern Mark has is that Nathan not lie to Liam about anything. This is so unsubtle that you know the rest of the book is all about Nathan and the lies he tells Liam. This aspect of the book I found painful. I get that he did not think through how to explain who he is to this wounded family. I get that his first reaction is to lie. But it went on and on.
Other than the endless lies I liked Liam, Nathan, Mark, and the two half-siblings. I liked how relaxed Mark and the kids were about Liam's newly discovered bisexuality. I get that discovering major things about oneself is often momentous but I know when I have been told similar things my reaction is sort of "ok. I'm hungry, you got food?" So I found all of that quite believable. The grandparents and the convenient reason for his mother's abandonment was less believable. The also convenient diaries made my eyes roll. As did bringing a flock of sheep along when one needs to rush across town.
Still is was a very sweet book and I will consider other books by this author when I want something light and easy to read.
I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Nathan at first, well, that’s a lie. I thought he was a privileged and spoiled twat, but as I got to know him and see the real him underneath all that sarcasm, I felt bad for his situation. He felt unwanted and unlovable and my heart went out to him.
As for Liam, he was a likable guy and I loved watching him explore his sexuality and discover that side of himself. I also absolutely adored the relationship he had with his brother, Mark, as well as his niece and nephew, Franny and Walt.
Liam and Nathan had great chemistry and were hot together. The progression of their relationship was natural and flowed well. I loved their back and forth banter.
I enjoyed this story and loved watching not only Nathan’s relationship development with Liam, but also with Mark, Franny and Walt. While reading this story, I learned more about sheep farming than I’ll ever need to know, but it was interesting.
An enjoyable addition to the series, that can definitely be read as a standalone. Recommendable!
*copy provided by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
This is honestly one of the best books I've read in months. It reminded me of one of my most loved childhood movies - While You Were Sleeping - but obviously gay and 10x more interesting.
A troubled young adult who feels he doesn't belong anywhere or to anyone finds his place in the world and people to call family. While it may be a story we've heard before, it's unique in it's telling - it includes understandable deception, an imperfect MC, and a host of complicated characters and situations.
It tugged at my heart strings and made me cry. It reminded me how important our relationships with our parents are - whether good or bad, they've left an impact. I haven't stayed up all night to read a book in a really long time, but I did for this story - I couldn't put it down.
If i don’t get a second book im gonna rip my eyes out. Why would i read another book? I guess i could read it again, which i will, but it can’t just end there. Can’t. Won’t accept that. Idc that it’s not about the university cause this was my first in the series, not my first from this author, but i just need at least one more story of these two. That’s all.
I was unsure about this book initially. It started a bit slow, but picked up the pace and carried that pace throughout the rest of the novel. The story was quite original, with clever writing and witty dialog. The characters were well fleshed-out, with the main characters being likable and endearing. I enjoyed the fact that the reader could see emotional growth in the characters - especially Nathan. The book, however, could have used a better proofreader, as there were several instances of small missing words or incorrect tenses of words. Regardless, I found this story to be one of the biggest joys of reading so far this year!
This installment of the Browerton University series takes a bold step away from the familiar halls of academia. None of the scenes unfold at the university, nor do they involve the usual crew-except for Nathan and brief cameos by his former roommate.
Nathan’s life has always been a patchwork of half-truths and missteps. He’s the product of a fleeting moment at a music festival, abandoned as a newborn, and left to piece together his identity while battling addiction and underachievement. We’ve seen him struggle through rehab, scrape by in college, and just barely stay afloat. But in this book, his story takes a striking turn.
Armed with a faded Polaroid and a growing determination, Nathan embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about his mother. His quest leads him to New Zealand, where he lands a job as a farmhand on a sheep farm—under false pretenses, of course. His acting skills serve him well as he spins tales of being cast in a film set on a sheep farm, all while immersing himself in the life his mother left behind.
The sheep farm is run by Liam, Nathan’s mother’s former brother-in-law, whose quiet strength and love for the land draw Nathan in. It’s here, amidst rolling hills and the rhythm of farm life, that Nathan begins to see his mother in the faces of her children—Liam’s niece and nephew—left to her husband Mark after her tragic death. Mark leads nightly family dinners that are a mix of warmth and tension, with Nathan caught between belonging and deception.
As Nathan’s feelings for Liam deepen, so does his connection to the farm and its people. But lies have a way of unraveling, and Nathan’s carefully constructed facade begins to crack. Secrets come to light, reputations are threatened, and a storm of emotions brews, pulling everyone into their wake. Even Nathan’s estranged father shows up, determined to bring him back to America.
Amid the turmoil, there are moments that tug at the heart—like a flock of sheep marching through town. The story builds to an emotional crescendo, with shouting, tears, and hard-won revelations that leave everyone forever changed.
This book steps far beyond the bounds of Browerton University, yet it never loses sight of its roots. Nathan’s journey is both deeply personal and universally relatable—a story of finding a family, healing wounds, and discovering unexpected love. It’s tender, vivid, and brimming with hope, proving once again A.J. Truman’s remarkable ability to craft stories that linger long after the final page.
I don't think I've ever reread as much of a book as I did with this one... or spent so much time squinting and mouthing "what the eff".
While I really enjoyed the basic plot and may have gotten a little misty eyed near the end, there was a glaring lack of research into anything related to New Zealand. Even the most basic things were off enough to jarr my entire reading experience.
Perhaps when writing about another country, the author should consider getting a native to read over (and maybe spot the American English littered throughout). And while us Kiwi's do indeed say such things as "Hard Out", "Sweet As", "All Good", and "Yeah, Nah", I don't think a single one was used in the correct context in this book, and I certainly don't think any Brit would ever describe his dead mother whom he'd never met but longed for a relationship with as "The Dog's Bollocks". It was entertaining in a way I don't think the author intended. Although I did also enjoy some other humourous moments that were meant to be funny!
I have no words for the description of the sheep "ranch" on a street (as opposed to most that would be on a rural road) with indoor living quarters for the stock, a very early lambing season, and the unusual inclusion of a coffee farm the next town over. We aren't really known for our coffee exports as most of the country is too cold to grow it. A simple Google search could have cleared up any confusion. And I'm still yet to wrap my head around the foray of the sheep into Wellington. I don't fully understand how they got what was presumably a stock truck into the CBD and I don't think any New Zealanders would expect to find sheep crossing the road in the centre of the capital city. I guess you can expect a little artistic licence with a romance.
I'm torn in that I enjoyed the story— I do love a good first-time-with-another-man-romance and this one didn't disappoint in that regard— and I guess anyone not from New Zealand might feel the same, but as a Kiwi it was just so wrong in so, so many ways.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is as off-the-wall as you're likely to get, but it works on virtually every level. Nathan is a young, trust fund alcoholic and mild drug addict who has very real issues with his family life in England (absent parents for the most part) and, of course, lack of love life.
What bothers him most is the fact that he knows nothing of his birth mother, and this sets him on a mission which leads him to New Zealand, of all places, where the first person he encounters is Liam, on the cover, in a wet field on a sheep farm.
Sure.
The way A.J. Truman handles this encounter, and the ensuing entanglements that Nathan brings on himself by avoiding the truth of why he "accidentally" showed up at Liam's farm, which he shares with one of his brothers, the widowed Mark, and Mark's son and daughter, is clever and in the end even logical.
However, I am not going to get into spoilers about this relationship except to say that at every step along Nathan's stupid, cowardly, path, I sympathized with him for the most part. That's how finely tuned author Truman presented this character so that, in the end, he was believable.
Liam, on the other hand, was a bit of a shock in that he seems to have reconciled the fact that his long time girlfriend and best friend not only kept their own affair hidden for so long but that they are disgustingly happy right now and he, Liam, will devote the rest of his life to raising sheep.
And, as a matter of fact, trying to keep his hands off Nathan.
This is a sparkling, adorable, cute, frustrating, angsty, and sometimes nasty tale that grabbed me and would not let go. That it's part of a series where there is hardly a thin line holding the others together to its own story makes this one a stand alone that you won't feel guilty about reading without having latched on to the others--most of which I liked anyway.
Here we have Nathan. He lies, he manipulates, he's pretty much turned it into a habit to use other people to gain whatever he wants. So, he might not be the most likable guy in the world. But he's also very wounded, and lost, and alone. He's sense of self worth is non-existing. At the start of this story we learn about his distant relationship with his father, and the joke of a family he has. Little by little we also learn why he is the way he is, why he feels unlovable and unwanted. He has to travel all the way to the other side of the world to start putting himself back together
Liam is the kind of guy you'd like to have in your corner. A family man, kind and loyal. He's been hurt, betrayed by people closest to him, and his way of healing himself is to throw himself into work. Elbows deep, at times. No one really asked Liam if he was okay with Nathan invading his life with chaotic energy and temptation, but these two men made it work. It wasn't insta-love, or even insta-lust, and I liked that there were real human feelings to settle and acknowledge before they moved further than friendship.
I'm sort of lost for words. I expected a certain kind of a storyline and what I envisioned pretty much happened. But I was not prepared to get so emotional while reading this book. Nathan's journey and discovery of who he is and where he came from was so beautifully written, I was literally sobbing by the end of this book. Best book I've read in a long, long time.
*A free copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This was an engrossing story that I read in one sitting, unable to put it down for more than a few minutes at a time. Nathan started out cold and unlikable, but we quickly learned what had led him to this point. His trip to New Zealand in search of family members who might actually want him was heartbreaking, especially when he was unable to admit his real reason for being there. As Nathan's lies piled up, he did get to know the family he desperately wanted to belong to, and he began to fall in love with Liam, the sexy sheep farmer who believed Nathan was there to learn to work the farm. I loved Nathan and Liam, as well as Mark and his kids, Franny and Walt. These people were all the things a family should be. There were also characters I disliked, who valued other things more than the family they should have appreciated. This story had sadness and betrayal, but it also had humor, attraction, and so much love. I haven't read all the other books in this series, including Eammon's book that featured Nathan, but this worked great as a standalone read. I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it as a wonderful story.
Terrific read!! Finding yourself, learning to love and finding your home creates a wondrous journey for these MC's Both men have baggage and have experience loss and pain in their lives. I loved the banter and humor of this story. The supporting characters were amazing.
The writing was good and the story-line caught my eye and kept me engaged. The characters were well crafted and were multi-dimensional. The journey of growth and love lead us to an amazing ending where the true characters of the men were able to shine. I loved Liam's brother Mark and his incredible honesty and heart.
Liam and Nathan will make you smile and warm your heart.
I was gifted this book from the author and i freely give my review
This is the first book of the series that I've read (yeah, I started at the last book). I'm going to have to read the rest of the series. I really enjoyed the story. At first, I was not a fan of Nathan (he's so well written that I really thought he had very few redeeming quailities). But as his quest to find his birth mum landed him in NZ, on a farm where he had to fake his way into being a farm hand, I grew to love his smart tongue and how much he grew to be a better person. As for his 'host' family, they were nice, espcially Liam - he was another well written character. There's very little second-guessing once both MCs acknowledged their attraction to each other. The storyline is really good, funny, hot and heatwarming. I really enjoyed it!
Probably my favorite stories of the Browerton University books--even though there is not one scene at Browerton.
The story, when I first started it was about that awful, drunken, Nathan who caused so much pain and misery for Eamonn and Rafe. I almost stopped reading, but I am glad I didn't.
Nathan and the Foster Family grew on me and we got to see who Nathan became -- a good guy -- still an alcoholic, but dealing with his addiction. Liam and his half siblings, learning about is mother, were all great influences and truly this book is more about love of family, who is family, what is a family (and of course, a boyfriend) than any of the other books in the series. It was a world that didn't revolve around finding, and holding a guy.
Outside Looking In by A.J. Truman is book six in Browerton University series but can be read as a standalone. This is Nathan Hargrove and Liam Foster’s story.
I loved the way Nathan and Liam met. They are opposites who are perfect for each other but have trouble trusting others. This steamy read will have you laughing and crying. I loved that I could feel the characters’ emotions. I couldn’t put it down and really enjoyed Nathan and Liam’s characters. The supporting characters added so much to the story too.
FYI, contains mature content.This is a MM romance. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
This was my first A.J. Truman read but it definitely won't be my last. I really enjoyed Nathan and Liam's story. More than the steam factor, this story struck home a bit because many people in life don't feel like they belong. They are ridiculed and bullied for being different. Nathan may have had the silver spoon life, but his red hair always made him different than everyone else. When he finally finds out the reason why, he spirals out of control until he makes a discovery that could change his life. Will all the lies and secrets finally free him or will they make him lose the one true thing he has every really wanted? A family who truly loves him and a happily ever after.
Even though it’s honestly rather tiring and painful to read this series, the stories and characters make it worth said pain. They’re all classic tropes, but they’re done well, and I’m still having a really difficult time marrying this writing style with the one I know from the author’s other work.
I volunteer if you need an editor to fix these books. Seriously, please hit me up any time. I’ll make time for you.
Also, as crap of a character Nathan was made out to be, I feel awful for the poor kid. Nobody deserves all of that. Nobody.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure if I would like a book about Nathan because he was such an arse in Out of this World (book 5) but this book really gives you a lot more insight into why he is the way he is and you can’t help but fall in love with him.
Nathan is lost, and feeling so alone and makes a big impulsive decision that leads him to Liam.
Liam and Nathan meet under unusual circumstances and they get to know each other and develop feelings. This book had me crying when everything comes to a head. My heart was aching for Nathan.
Two things. 1. My least favourite plot driver of main guy keeps a secret for literally no reason that is the main conflict and has so many opportunities to change that. Just weak and annoying writing imo
2. I’m from New Zealand and it felt like the author google “nz slang” and just threw it in the most random places where they thought it would work. “Nah yeah”, “sweet as” “gidday” (THATS AUSSIE) even the sheep thing omfg sorry really took me out of the story cos it was all the complete wrong context 😭😭😭😭
Nathan hasn’t had the best of starts in life being led to believe that his mother had passed away only to find out at 16 she had just left him on his fathers door step. With a blow like that one can’t help but rebel. With stint after stint in rehab Nathan decides enough is enough and go’s to track down his long lost mother and hopefully get himself a new family. What Nathan doesn’t expect to find is hot farmer and an adorable pregnant sheep. Despite the fact Nathan lies from start to finish you can’t help but fall in love with his character and understand his reasons behind it. It’s a witty story with some heat and all the feels it’s a definite must read.
This one's really not bad. The first third of the book I spent being amused at what a horrible human being Nathan is. He continued to be a total wreck for most of the book too, with a really slow redemption arc. It was entertaining enough, but then the last third of the story really stalled. I got bored and started skipping. Luckily the drama at the end was short and the predictable HEA made an emotional showing soon enough.