I have sooo many ARCs due right now; so naturally, I'm avoiding them. Here is Trisha Linde and Colbie Dunbar's "Odd Man Out." It's the fourth novel in their Once Upon an MM Romance series. It's an Ugly Duckling retelling.
["They say beauty only runs skin deep… but what if no one bothers to look beneath the surface?
Omega Joel has always been a bit of an odd duck. A square peg, an eccentric… a misfit. He doesn’t fit into his mother’s perfect new family, he doesn’t fit in with the preppy rich kids at school, and as he gets older and heads off for college, he knows with certainty that he doesn’t fit into anyone’s idea of a love interest. Not that it matters anyway, because no alpha will ever compare to his best friend, Toban. Toban has always been there for him, is the only person who feels right—which means that he is strictly off-limits. Nothing in the world can make Joel jeopardize that friendship. It’s just not worth the risk.
Alpha Toban is a good friend… and he reminds himself of this daily. Friends watch out for each other, they protect each other, and they most certainly do not fall in love. Toban has been in love with Joel pretty much since the first moment he laid eyes on him, but he knows that he’ll never be good enough for the smart and sexy omega. When they get to college, he finds the new dating pool is more like an ocean, and if he’s not careful, Joel could easily drown. Fending off the omega’s potential suitors quickly becomes a full-time job. One run-in with a handsy bully could spoil their friendship for good… or maybe it could lead them to an even more promising future."]
I wasn't too sure about these two at first, to be honest. The MCs were much younger than the rest of the MCs in the series. I did't know how I felt about two college guys having a baby. The fairy tale retelling didn't fell as flushed out as the rest of the series (Joel was the odd man out in his family, but not to Toban). But I was pleasantly surprised.
Best friends to lover, with an interlude with jealousy and possessiveness. That was lovely. Angsty and spicy and adorable and sassy. Supported by all of their friends and the family who actually mattered.
Not to mention that adorable as hell epilogue!
Trigger Warnings: bullying, mentions of domestic abuse, child abuse, violence, and more.
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